posted 09-10-08 08:57 AM
EDT (US)
4 / 20
This will be the raw story for the map. Please feel free to leave any comments, adjustments, advices, tips and so on!!!!
Malacandra
It took just one man to change the history of Malacandra. Just one name to end all peace and prosperity. It took just King Agamemnon to unleash hell onto the world. Agamemnon’s rule began in the second Era. As the only son to King Menelaus he was sole heir to the throne of a kingdom called Kul Tiras. Ambitious and young Agamemnon started his rule. Trade prospered and with it came great wealth. The borders of Kul Tiras expanded into unclaimed territory as the realm grew in power and strength. Agamemnon had just one great weakness. He was intrigued and greatly influenced by self-proclaimed prophets. He loved listening to their prophesies and his actions were heavily influenced by these “ divine messages”.
One day a dark and obscure man came to Agamemnon’s court. He called himself Kel’Arzad. And proclaimed a message of which he said was given to him by the Almighty Spirit. A god greater than any other in the lands. Agamemnon allowed the prophet into his stronghold and listened to his words. Kel’Arzad told Agamemnon his realm was in great danger. He said that the Almighty spirit revealed to him a scheme plotted by the tribes of the Tigran. He warned the Human King that his realm would not least another year unless he would act! Following Kel’Arzads impassioned speech, Agamemnon called for an emergency council of war to discuss the Tigran threat. Although none of his generals had heard rumors about Tigran invaders or of any hostilities Agamemnon started his war anyway. Blinded by the prophet he did not heat any warnings or listened to any advice. Thus it happened that Agamemnon started a campaign against the Tirgans. There came an end to so many years of peace. King Agamemnon, through skilled political maneuvering, enlisted the support of many other human kingdoms. By the time he reached his outer borders no less than Seven kingdoms swore alliance to Agamemnon. His army counted six thousand spears, three thousand bows, four thousand swords and another three thousand cavalry
The Tigran empires were completely overwhelmed by the gigantic armies marching into their lands. The Human assault proceeded easily, laying waste to a great number of villages and cities. The unprepared and outnumbered Tigrans had no other choice then to retreat deeply into their deserts. There a new leader rose to challenge the Humans. A Tigran named Lionas rose to power and with him in command the tigrans introduced a hit and run tactic. A new tactic that shifted the balance of the war. Slowed down by the great heat of the desert and the shortage of water morale among the human armies began to drop. The supply lines of Agamemnon’s armies began to fail as bands of prowlers attacked the convoys only to disappear again into the desert sands. Enraged by all these events Agamemnon made a epic mistake. He ordered his troops into attacking small villages in the Draconian lands thus opeing a second battlefront. Outraged by the attack on their borders, the Draconian put forth their full strength in the war effort. The skies filled with dragons and waters became alive with reptiles. With the draconians marching on, the Tigran armies returned as well. Lionas reinforced his militia with many nomad tribes living in the deserts. The human armies now in turn saw themselves outnumbered and they retreated. During this retreat the armies clashed time after time, decimating both sides. Something that did not go unnoticed.
The Evil realms saw how the lands of both humans, Draconian and Tigrans emptied onto the battlefields and how their lands were left undefended. An alliance between Evil fractions was forged and soon after the united tribes of the Orcs, commanded by warchief Shrnaga, and an army of Goblins, Dark Elves and Undead, under the banner of Queen Azi’ara, marched into battle. A full scale world war could no longer be avoided. The Archon realm had tried tirelessly to achieve peace between the fighting nations but they began to realize they had failed miserably. Fearing a too great a shift in the cosmic balance between good and evil they could no longer stand idle. Under the Archon banners an army of Elves, Halflings and dwarves marched towards its doom. Their numbers were about thirty thousand shields. According to eyewitnesses the war had endured less than a week before frosting armies were also reported on the battlefield. They babbled on about how their Dire penguins had disappeared from the frozen lands and they accused all they met.
A great many of battles were fought between all races. The war ravaged the world and consumed it with death. No less than five fractions, being the Humans, the Desert coalition, the Evil alliance, The Orcish horde and the Free forces of Good marched tirelessly into battle. As battles continued the Once powerful rulers fell one by one. Power struggles and infighting caused the different fractions to break up in even a greater multitude of rulers. At the end of the First Great War few were left that knew who stood with who and even why exactly they fought.
The conflict had its climax in the battle for the Valley of Gorgosh. Almost as if it was faith all armies marched towards this dale. The valley was covered in black as thousands prepared for battle. All the armies, gathered there, counted a total of eighty-nine-thousand man. A fierce skirmish took place there. Army after army marched towards its doom. Cries of horror echoed on the winds as mortal legions rushed blindly to their doom. With the legions of Agamemnon still in a state of disarray the battle went dreadful for the humans. .King Agamemnon could do little else then see his troops getting slaughtered. Heavily outnumbered, even after mercenary reinforcements, the King began to despair, It was then that the necromancer Kel’Arzad reentered the tales of history. He told Agamemnon of a way to still be victorious. All he would have to do was to take part in a ritual. Desperate the king agreed. Little did he know for he was betrayed by the Necromancer. The rituals would claim the King’s life. Through his death Kel’Arzad opened a Demon portal. Hell was unleashed upon Malacandra. It was Armageddon. A day of judgment.
The battling forces were completely surprised by this new event. Like a scourge the demonic forces under command of the Necromancer spread across the battlefield. They ripped through formations, destroyed complete garrisons of Elf, Tigran and Orc alike. Many brave soldiers lost their lives - countless heroes took their place among the legends of the past.
In just a single day more soldiers were killed then had been until that day In the war. All fractions knew in their hearts they could not defeat this new enemy on their own. And, as the saying “the enemy of my enemy is a friend” goes, the leaders of the main fractions quickly negotiated a cease fire and a meeting between them took place. Druids, shamans, priests and sorceresses, united in a single council, brooded on a way too close the portal to hell again.
The conspicuous group of mages came up with a plan involving four keys. Keys bestowed with one of the four basic element that are needed for all life; Earth, wind, fire and water. A small party of six heroes took upon them the quest to bring these keys to the portal. The band, led by the Paladin Rheno, went literally through hell but eventually four of the heroes reached the portal. They placed the four keys around the gateway and casted the enhancement. With loud thundering sounds the gate began to close taking with it all demons back into the abyss. The day was saved.
After the closing, only one of the heroes returned back to the valley of Gorgosh. It was Rheno. Although it never became quite clear what had happened to the others, Rheno received a great and warm welcome. With almost no armies remaining and brought together by the past events the different fractions decided that the war had taken long enough. The realms of the decayed King Agamemnon were given to Rheno as a reward. The four keys were hidden away by the council. There locations have remained unknown till this day.
It has now been thirty years since the First Great war. Many had gone to war and very few had returned. Although much of the lands have been rebuild and all live in relative peace many fractions are still weakened. The Human kingdoms though prospered greatly under the rule of King Rheno. He had claimed more and more lands. City after city and Realm after Realm joined the new human leader. Now it has reached a point where the King is even considered the mightiest ruler in Malacandra.
Now a new threat has come into view, bringing once again a fragile future for the worlds of dwarfs, elves, hobbits, goblins and orcs alike. As with all great power, some use it for good, others for evil. Rheno has tended to the latter lately. He has become greedy. Suffering delusions of grandeur his thirst for power knows no bounds.
Now rumors are that King Rheno is seeking refuge in demonic rituals and cults. He believes that he can control the demonic forces havocking the world so short a time ago. It is said that Rheno is trying to open his very own gate. Still his portal is small and instable making it difficult for demons to pass through. Few have thus entered the world yet. Tales of old though say that the very keys used for closing the gate in the First War can be used again for opening another portal. Rheno thus seeks these keys. Already scouts report attacks on border villages and towns. Once more the cries of battle echo upon the winds as King Rheno is starting this new campaign
Command your own fraction and write history. Train armies, command new heroes that will challenge faith and defend you realm against Rheno and rival fractions. Find the four Keys at whatever cost and destroy this new gate once and for all!
) but the biggest advantage is the sheer immense variety of different styles you have in the end if all works well!
